Readers Have Two & One Person Households

The weekly polls conducted here aren’t scientific but nevertheless I often find the results interesting. The post introducing the poll last week contained information on the increasing trend toward single occupant households, I won’t rehash it again.

Here were the results:

Q: Including yourself, what is the size of your current household?

1. Two 42 [31.11%]
2. One 41 [30.37%]
3. Four 22 [16.3%]
4. Five+ 16 [11..85%]
5. Three 14 [10.37%]

More than sixty-percent live in a one or two person household. No major conclusions here, I just find this stuff interesting. The fact that more than twice as many indicated they have four+ vs three is interesting. I guess once a couple has one kid another one (or two) is likely to follow?

— Steve Patterson

Poll: Is Passenger Rail Service Important To America’s Future?

Passenger rail service, Amtrak, is a topic in the 2012 elections. Republican candidates vow to remove federal funding from Amtrak as ridership is increasing and stimulus funding is updating infrastructure. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has invested billions in our national railroad infrastructure, working toward improved rail service for passengers and transporting goods.

Between New York and Washington, Amtrak said, 75 percent of travelers go by train, a huge share that has been building steadily since the Acela was introduced in 2000 and airport security was tightened after 2001. Before that, Amtrak had just over a third of the business between New York and Washington.

In the same period, Amtrak said, its market share between New York and Boston grew to 54 percent from 20 percent.

Nationally, Amtrak ridership is at a record 30 million people; the Northeast accounts for more than a third of that and is virtually the only portion of Amtrak’s system that makes money. (Frustrations of Air Travel Push Passengers to Amtrak)

I’ve taken numerous trips via Amtrak in the last few years and think it’s a great way to travel. No form of transit is without subsidy, we subsidize all other forms of travel.

Which brings us to the poll question this week: is passenger rail service important to America’s future? The poll is located in the right sidebar.

— Steve Patterson

Poll: Including Yourself, What Is The Size Of Your Current Household?

A recent story on CBS News caught my attention:

“I would argue that the rise of living alone represents the greatest social change of the last 60 years that we have failed to name or identify,” said NYU sociologist Eric Klinenberg. “This is a transformation that has touched all of us, whether we live alone or it’s just someone in our family or friendship circle who does.”

Klinenberg has spent years tracking the seismic spike in “solo dwelling.” He says today there are about 32.7 million Americans living alone. Clearly, if you live alone, you’re NOT alone.

“It’s an incredible number, and it’s a massive increase over where we were in 1950 when it was just four million Americans,” Klinenberg said.

One is no longer the loneliest number. Roughly four out of ten households are single-person homes, in cities like Seattle (42 percent), San Francisco (39.7 percent), Denver (40.4 percent), and Cleveland (39.9 percent). (CBS News — Live alone? You’re not alone)

I’ve lived alone for 21 of the last 24+ years.  I have zero desire to live with a significant other or ever have a roommate again. I know others who feel the same way but I know just as many who enjoy living with others.

In 2000, 1-in-4 households consisted of one person living alone, a significant increase over the 7.7 percent in 1940. This type of household increased each decade over the 60-year period from 1940 to 2000 (see graph).

In recent decades, renters have been much more likely than owners to live alone. However this was not the case back in 1940, when one-person occupancy rates for owners and renters were not much different. The one-person occupancy rate for renters climbed rapidly from 1940 (8 percent) to 1980 (36 percent). The greatest disparities between renters and owners occurred between 1960 and 1980, when renters were more than twice as likely as owners to live alone. There was a small drop in the rate of renters living alone between 1980 and 1990, but it rebounded with an increase in 2000. (US Census)

Where does St. Louis rank?

Here’s the full rundown:

1. Atlanta: 44.0%
2. Washington: 44.0%
3. Cincinnati: 43.4%
4. Alexandria: 43.4%
5. St. Louis: 42.6%
6. Pittsburgh: 41.7%
7. Arlington: 41.3%
8. Seattle: 41.3%
9. Cambridge:40.7%
10. Denver: 40.6%

(Source: Business Insider)

But the CBS News story at the top that said; “And then there’s Manhattan, an urban island where almost HALF of all households are made up of just one person – where millions of people seek safe harbor tonight in an empty apartment.”  I’m not going to resolve the conflict now. Instead, the poll this week asks the size of your household (upper right sidebar). Meanwhile I’ll keep looking for answers, I’ll share what I find when I post the poll results on Wednesday September 12th.

Further reading: The Atlantic — All The Single Ladies 

— Steve Patterson

Poll: Which Candidate Do You Want To Be Elected The Next U.S. Senator From Missouri?

It’s been a crazy week with national media focusing on comments made by Republican Todd Akin during a local television interview:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdisTOKom5I

Prior to Akin’s comments he held a comfortable lead over incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill. Just weeks earlier Akin won the GOP primary, defeating Sarah Steelman and John Brunner. Despite calls for him to withdraw. Akin decided to remain in the race and his campaign released a new ad asking for forgiveness:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R57E3S8RO7A

The poll question this week is which of these two candidates do you want to see elected on November 6th. The poll is in the right sidebar.

 — Steve Patterson

Poll: How Many Times Have You Been To St. Louis Union Station In The Last 12 Months?

St. Louis Union Station is just a few blocks away from my loft, so it’s convenient to stop there. I still marvel at the grandeur of the structure and wish I could go back in time to see at its peak.

In 1912 Union Station was a busy place, but who visits Union Station in 2012? Hotels guests obviously. Anyone else? Bueller?

In the poll this week I want to get a sense of how often the readers of this blog frequent Union Station. Hopefully I’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results. The poll is in the right sidebar and results will be presented on Wednesday August 29, 2012.

— Steve Patterson